Hayden Panettiere watches Jets practice, talks Taylor Swift

Hayden Panettiere was all smiles on Sunday as she put in an appearance at the New York Jets NFL training camp in Cortland, N.Y. She must have been happy with how boyfriend/wide receiver Scotty McKnight was doing on the field. She stole some of the attention away from Tim Tebow.

Panettiere will be back on TV on Oct. 10, when ABC's drama Nashville premieres featuring the actress playing a rising country singer named Juliette Barnes opposite Connie Britton as country music superstar Rayna James.

There's buzz that Britton's character is based on Reba and Panettiere's is based on Taylor Swift.

Britton, however, told critics at TCA last week that she had "no idea" about any Reba connection. Reba, meanwhile, is starring in her own ABC comedy, Malibu Country.

As for Panettiere mirroring Swift, she says that they may be about the same age and have similar hair, but that's it. Swift, she says, is "much nicer than my character."

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About Ann Oldenburg

Ann has worn out many stilettos chasing celebs for USA TODAY. She's covered the Oscars, the Emmys, the Golden Globes, and has interviewed stars ranging from Tom Cruise to Rosie O'Donnell. Ann knows entertainment news is best served as a hot dish to friends and she's hoping you'll dig right in. More about Ann